AARDVARK wrote:It would be lovely to have some static airframes brought in such as the Harrier/Phantom/Lightning to represent the gap that will be glaringly present from say 1960 to modern day,it’s a shame that the majority of the aircraft that we associate with the post war RAF are no longer flying !

Isn't that exactly what Cosford are doing? Lets keep Fairford for all the interesting foreign military items!

Spotty_Jag wrote:Isn't that exactly what Cosford are doing? Lets keep Fairford for all the interesting foreign military items!

That's my wish too. For those of us living in the UK there's plenty of scope to see RAF airframes be it flying from our bases or in museums.

My wish is for lots of exotic participants from other countries, hopefully spurred on by our celebrations.

Precisely. Diversity in participants/structure of celebrations across UK is the best way forwards. Cosford seems to have the ‘RAF through the ages’ theme nailed down, no reason why Fairford shouldn’t be the international birthday bash giving all RAF’s friends and allies a chance to say Happy Birthday. Otherwise, we might as well have a touring exhibit of static airframes doing the whole country.

AARDVARK wrote:It would be lovely to have some static airframes brought in such as the Harrier/Phantom/Lightning to represent the gap that will be glaringly present from say 1960 to modern day,it’s a shame that the majority of the aircraft that we associate with the post war RAF are no longer flying !

Isn't that exactly what Cosford are doing? Lets keep Fairford for all the interesting foreign military items!

They are but I feel RIAT would be better served ,it was a magnificent display for the 100yrs of flight show ,I just think if you are going to do the RAF justice these airframes should be present,you are making it sound like you have to choose which you don’t ,why would it have a detrimental affect on foreign participation?

Any chance of the Tornado Role Demo team being resurrected for the 100th Anniversary? Certainly something I want to see this year given the imminent demise of what was the poster child of the RAF for me growing up.

FullCarrot wrote:Any chance of the Tornado Role Demo team being resurrected for the 100th Anniversary? Certainly something I want to see this year given the imminent demise of what was the poster child of the RAF for me growing up.

This. You’d think as the Tornado draws nearer and nearer to its demise next year and it being the 100th anniversary, a special one off celebration and possibly the last time we see them in RAF roundels at RIAT they’d go out with a bang!

FullCarrot wrote:Any chance of the Tornado Role Demo team being resurrected for the 100th Anniversary? Certainly something I want to see this year given the imminent demise of what was the poster child of the RAF for me growing up.

This. You’d think as the Tornado draws nearer and nearer to its demise next year and it being the 100th anniversary, a special one off celebration and possibly the last time we see them in RAF roundels at RIAT they’d go out with a bang!

For me this celebration will be wildly lacking if an aircraft such as the Tornado and all that it has contributed during its career is not given the opportunity for a swan song and I couldnt think of a more fitting event to do it.

I think sadly the best we can expect is a 6/9 ship flyby on the Friday ....The Tornado force is sadly dwindling by the month and I just can’t see them having the manpower or funds to work up a role demo,love to be proved wrong though.

I think sadly the best we can expect is a 6/9 ship flyby on the Friday ....The Tornado force is sadly dwindling by the month and I just can’t see them having the manpower or funds to work up a role demo,love to be proved wrong though.

9 could be a third of the available Tornado fleet in the UK should Shader still being going. Taking crew out into account you'd have to have at least 12 jets manned to get 9 airborne. So you are getting close to half the fleet if not more

Not heard anything about Tornado taking part in the 100 flypast. Rumours

20 Typhoons for the '100' At least 9 Tucano 9 RedsBBMF which could be 9? If all the fleet are readySo another 53 aircraft / helicopters to find if they are going for 100

I'd guess that given the ever dwindling numbers available, if we see any Tornados in the flypast there might be a pair trailing a Voyager in a kind of AAR simulation.

I think we all know that the role demo will not happen. I just think it's sad that in all likelihood when the time comes that the Tornado does retire, we won't get an event such as the Phantom retirements we've seen at Wittmund and Larissa or even the recent Alpha Jet event in Portugal - and they only had six and they're even more skint than we are!

Sadly guys I would suspect you’re all right and that we would be lucky to even see one airborne, I just think it’s a travesty to let that aircraft disappear quietly. Maybe the Italians can bring their A200 back this year but I would prefer to see one in home colours

harkins wrote:I'd guess that given the ever dwindling numbers available, if we see any Tornados in the flypast there might be a pair trailing a Voyager in a kind of AAR simulation.

I think we all know that the role demo will not happen. I just think it's sad that in all likelihood when the time comes that the Tornado does retire, we won't get an event such as the Phantom retirements we've seen at Wittmund and Larissa or even the recent Alpha Jet event in Portugal - and they only had six and they're even more skint than we are!

The TGRF need someone like Wing Commander Sullivan who saw the Jaguars out in style. With the Marham a massive building site, also the incident a couple of years ago and F-35 arriving in the near future the base is on heightened security measures. I can't see a big event like Phantoms being held at Marham, if the event happens more likely limited to the last few enthusiast events, limited numbers. Although something like the great II(AC) Sqn centenary event would be much welcomed

Just hope they manage to get a couple of Tornados on static and in the flypast, that would be 4 of the remaining jet. That should be doable

Tommy wrote:Something much closer to home, I think, but I read somewhere last week that the Army Air Corps Gazelles will be gone by the end of this year(?), would like a few more opportunities to see them whilst they're still around, or indeed, that very shy Bell 212!

Are any Bell 212s still in use, I think two were shipped off to Canada in civilian scheme earlier this month and at least one other was seen stored recently? I only ever saw one at Waddo, luckily arriving in some glorious sunshine, and that one has gone already!

Ah balls and arse. Didn’t know that.

Looks like you may still be in luck mate, I see one was out on the SPTA last week. Why the fleet has been chopped down though ???

Surely while 84 Sqn still operate the HAR version and the army in Brunei, they'll still need to retain one or two (B212 /412) for conversion , unless they outsource conversion? It's been very quiet about 84 Sqn future

84 Squadron will remain using the Griffin HAR2 in Cyprus beyond the OSD for the Griffin HT1 as a flying training aircraft (which will retired at the end of March). Conversion to the Griffin HAR2 in Cyprus has always been done on unit and will continue to be done so, nothing to do with the Army's B212 fleet. The exact OSD for the B212 is unknown to me, but I believe the contract expires at some point this year, but no news has been released on what will replace the aircraft overseas so who knows the situation?

In the next 3 months the line up for this special RIAT year will be announced. To date we have F16, F-18, F35 and Gripen. It's unimaginable that UK Typhoon will not also join the line up. That's a fantastic line up for any air show but what other types are possible? Please add your thoughts.